Travel misery as strong winds and flooding bring rail services to a halt

• Video report by ITV News Correspondent Marc Mallett

Railway passengers across the UK are feeling the effects of unseasonable weather conditions battering the country.

Trains have been brought to a halt after trees were sent crashing down on to railway lines due to strong winds, with the main line between Scotland and north-west England blocked by flooding.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for wind across much of the country for Saturday, as low pressure bring conditions more akin to autumn than August.

Network Rail has imposed speed restrictions on many routes, particularly in coastal areas, where wind speeds are forecast to hit 60mph.

It urged passengers to check for updates before they travel.

It comes after an evening of rail misery as a power cut saw services badly affected.

An investigation into the blackout has been launched.

• Is my train going to be delayed?

Heavy rain has flooded the line between Penrith North Lakes and Carlisle, meaning trains are running at a reduced speed with many services delayed or cancelled.

A tree is also currently on the line between Newbury in Berkshire and Westbury in Wiltshire, while another tree is on the line between Hereford and Worcester Foregate Street.

In north London, services were suspended on London Overground services between Hackney Downs and Enfield Town after a tree fell on the line.

Services were suspended between West Ham and Limehouse when a tree caused damage to the overhead wires.

Earlier in the day, services were delayed or cancelled on Saturday morning after a tree fell on the line between Ashford International and Hastings, although the obstruction has since been cleared.

In the south east, a train used on the Marks Tey to Sudbury line was hit by two trees with the resulting damage meaning the entire branch line will be suspended for the rest of the weekend.

Elsewhere, services have resumed between Guildford and Reading after a fallen tree was removed from the line near North Camp.

A tree caused similar problems on the route between Ipswich and Lowestoft.

Mumbles Head on the south coast of Wales has seen the strongest winds so far, clocking up 61mph on Saturday morning, followed by Pembrey Sands in Carmarthenshire at 56mph.

Elsewhere, Langdon Bay in east Kent recorded wind speeds of 53mph, the Met Office said.

Network Rail has urged passengers to check for updates before they travel.

• Events cancelled as Met Office issues yellow weather warnings

The Met Office has put in place yellow warnings for thunderstorms in Scotland and Northern Ireland and for strong winds across Wales and most of England.

Forecaster Craig Snell said heavy rain was affecting the northern border areas of England into Scotland, with further showers expected in the north as heavy and slow-moving thunderstorms roll through.

Mr Snell said: "No matter where you are in the UK you're at risk of seeing some kind of localised disruption from wind.

"It's a case of staying in touch with weather forecasts and being prepared for extra travel time as there may be road closures due to localised flooding."

Many events planned for this weekend have been cancelled due to the weather.

Several LGBT+ pride events, including in Chester, Milton Keynes and Plymouth, were postponed over safety concerns but are due to be rearranged.

In Cornwall, the Boardmasters festival was called off 12 hours before the gates were due to high winds.

Houghton, a Norfolk dance music festival, was also cancelled just hours before it was due to start.

The first day of Blackpool Air Show on Saturday was cancelled, as was nearby St Anne's International Kite Festival, as winds of 45mph were forecast for the afternoon.

• What's the weather forecast for the rest of the weekend?

Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office meteorologist, said: "For the rest of the day it will stay quite windy across England and Wales, there is a yellow weather warning in place until midnight tonight.

"We're likely to continue to see gusts of 40mph to 50mph, perhaps closer to 60mph nearer to the coast."

He added that the heavy rain and thunderstorms across northern England and Scotland would continue for the rest of the day.

Further heavy rain is forecast until about mid morning on Sunday afternoon.

It is unclear what impact this will have on rail and other transport services.

Across the rest of the country, the weather is expected to be much more settled on Sunday with showers and some patches of sunshine coming through.